Winchelu



July '16, 1-963 P, WINCHELL powoammc NON-VISIBLE GARTERS FOR HOSIERYFiled Dec. '7, 1961 IN VEN TOR. PAUL Wl NCHELL um? g A 7701911 5) UnitedStates Patent 3,097,407 CONFORMING NGN-VISIBLE GARTERS FOR HOSIERY PaulWinchell, 9-05 166th St., Whitestone, N.Y. Filed Dec. 7, 1961, Ser. No.158,158 1 Claim. (Cl. 24248) This invention relates to a hosiery garterand particularly concerns a novel clamp structure for such a garter.

According to the invention there is provided a stocking clamp for agarter including two pivotally attached arms, each having a toothed jawat one end. The arms are constructed so that one snap fits within theother and is held there by catch means. The arms are curved to conformwith the curvature of a human leg. The closed clamp fits flat againstthe leg so that the top of the stocking does not bulge outwardly at thegarter clamp.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an improvedgarter clamp or buckle for securely supporting a stocking in a quickdetachable manner, the clamp having a curved, leg conforming structure.

A further object is to provide a garter clamp structure includingpivotally attached arms with frictional gripping jaws at the ends, thearms fitting one within the other and secured by catch means.

A specific object is to provide a flat thin garter clamp which will notcreate unsightly bulging of the outer garments.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garter in an open position embodyingthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the garter in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the garter in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 4-4 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a portion ofanother garter clamp structure in closed position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form ofcatch assembly.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clamping jaws showing amodified form of latching means.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a garter 10 including arms 12 and14. The arms are formed as elongated, generally rectangular framemembers of resilient plastic material. Arm 12 is formed with a flat loop16 at its upper end slit laterally at 18 to permit passage andengagement of loop 20 of a garter strap 22. The top of loop 16 hasrecesses 21, 23 at opposite sides to receive opposite sides of loop 26so that the strap fits flush with the opposite sides of loop 16. Arm 12is for-med with an elongated opening 24 to define two spaced parallelarm elements 25, 26. Grooves 28 are formed longitudinally in the innersides of the frame elements. The arm 12 terminates at its lower end inan elongated curved jaw 30. The curvature CC of jaw 30 (see FIG. 4) mayor may not conform with the curvature of a human leg on which the garterwould be worn. The upper end 31 of arm 14 may also have a concavecurvature, and the bottom end is slightly curved and is covered by acurved hook 33 on the lower end of "ice arm 12, the curvature of thehook providing a smooth engaging surface.

The top of arm 12 and bottom of loop 16 define a transverse bridge 34. Acatch assembly 36 is carried by the bridge. This catch assembly includesa pin 38 passing through a central bore in the bridge. The top of thepin is formed as a head 40 which can be grasped by fingernails toretract the pin. At the lower end of the pin is a conical tip 42. A coilspring 43 sleeved on the pin biases the tip downwardly in opening 24.Tip 42 engages in a recess 44 formed at the top of an offset finger 15at the top of arm 14.

Arm 14 is narrower than arm 12 and is for-med with a centrallongitudinal opening 46. The opening thus defines two arm elements 48,50 which are flexible On their long side edges, the arm elements haveprojecting, longitudinal ridges 52 adapted to snap into the grooves 28in arm elements 25, 26. The arm 12 and arm 14 are thus provided at theirupper portions with flexible frame members which snap fit into eachother in the closed position of the garter.

Arm 14 is offset forwardly at its intermediate portion 17 where itpasses through opening 24 near the bottom end thereof. A pintle 19extends through the lower ends of arm elements 25, 26 and the offsetportion 17 of the arm 14, so that arms 12 and 14 are pivotally attachedto each other. The lower portion of arm 14 is formed as an elongated jaw54 with a serrated inner rear side 55 defining teeth which mate withcorresponding serrations or teeth 57 on the opposing face of jaw 30, andare lined as indicated at 59 with vinyl, rubber, plastic and the like toprevent tearing the stocking.

A stocking top can be disposed between the open jaws 30, 54, and thegarter can then be snapped closed. The arms 12, 14 interfitting eachother at their upper ends and the catch member 36 engaging at the top ofarm 14 will effectively hold the garter clamp structure closed. Inaddition, the pressure of the concave jaw 30 against the leg of thewearer will further hold the garter closed. To release the stocking, thecatch member 36 will be ulled upwardly within loop 16 and the armelements 48, 50 will be pushed rearwardly of arm 12 to disengage thearms and permit the arms to pivot open to the position shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a modified catch assembly 36 for the garter 10in which parts corresponding to those of garter 10 are identicallynumbered. A threaded pin 38 is disposed in a threaded bore passingthrough bridge 34 of loop 16 The conical tip 42 at the lower free end ofthe pin engages in recess 44 at the upper, offset finger 15 of arm 14. Ahead 40 on the pin in loop 16 facilitates turning the catch structure 36to engage and disengage tip 42 with respect to recess 44. The catchassembly 36 locks the frame portions of the arms 12 14 more securelythan the spring biased engagement provided in catch assembly 36.However, for most uses the catch assembly 36 may be preferred sinceengagement and disengagement can be effected somewhat more quick- 1y.

In FIG. 6, in place of a catch assembly comprising a pin with head andconical tip, a snap button 36 is shown carried by the bridge 34 adaptedto snap into the countersunk recess 44 on the top of the offset finger15 of the arm 14*.

FIG. 7 illustrates the jaws 30 and 54 provided with pivoted latchingmembers 60 adapted to coact and interlock for holding the jaws together.

The garter can be manufactured from plastic by high speed, plasticmolding machinery at low cost, or die stamped out of steel or othermetal. It provides a more 3' secure, non-bulging, form fitting,comfortable support for a stocking than has heretofore been available.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and'that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

A clamp structure for a form fitting garter, comprising a pair ofelongated arms, each of said arms having an opening defining an upperelongated frame portion, the frame portion of one arm fitting within theframe portion of the other arm, one of the arms having an intermediateoifset portion, the oifset portion of the one arm extending through theframe portion of the other arm and pivotally secured thereat, each ofthe arms having a lower jaw portion formed with an elongated serratedside, the serrated sides of the jaw portions facing each other to grip astocking therebetween when the arms are closed and the frame portionsare engaged one within the other, the upper end of said other arm beingformed with a loop to engage the top of a garter, said other arm havinga transverse bridge between said opening and loop, and a catch membercarried by said bridge for engaging the upper end of said one arm whenthe arms are closed, said catch member including a threaded pin having ahead disposed in the loop and a conical tip disposed in the opening ofsaid other arm, said upper end of the one arm having a recess forreceiving said conical tip, said pin being turnably threaded in a borein said bridge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,964Lawrence Mar. 19, 1867 433,756 Wilson Aug. 5, 1890 653,747 Lewis July17, 1900 940,285 Scruggs Nov. 16, 1909 1,916,540 Strahm July 4, 19332,040,635 Sobel May 12, 1936 2,217,770 Price et a1. Oct. 15, 19402,363,322 Headon Nov. 21, 1944 2,624,093 Hatch et a] Jan. 6, 19533,034,190 Magnin et a1 May 15, 1962 3,037,257 Girodet June 5, 1962FOREIGN PATENTS 479,174 France Nov. 26, 1915 91,141 Switzerland Oct. 17,1921 89,561 Sweden June 29, 1937 1,052,928 Germany a -2 Mar. 19, 1959

